Business Notes: Management - Characteristics of Good Management

What is management? Management is the person or persons controlling and directing the affairs of a business, or other institution. It can also be described as the or manner of managing: handling, direction or control.

Where does the word 'manage' come from? The word manage comes from the Italian word maneggiare and also from the Latin manu agere which means 'to lead by the hand', this in turn has been derived from the Latin word manus meaning hand.

So what does a manager do? According to Henri Fayol (1841-1925), the first person to identify elements or functions of management in his classic 1916 book 'Administration Industrielle et Generole', management consists of planning, organizing, command, coordination and control.

However according to Peter Drucker (1955), 'The manager is the dynamic, life giving element in every business'. In 1955 he said that a manager has only 3 jobs:

1. Managing a business
2. Managing managers
3. Managing workers and work

What does a good manager look like? The CMI (Chartered Management Institute) claim that Chartered Manager (CMgr)  is the ultimate accolade. However what process would a CMgr candidate have to follow in order to receive this award. Therefore according to them a good manager will be qualified, have impact and CPD (Continuing professional development).

What are the entry requirements from CMgr? According to the CMI in 2008 “In order to ensure minimum standards of knowledge and understanding of management among Chartered Managers, a management qualification at degree level or above (e.g. NVQ 4 or Diploma in Management) is a minimum qualification requirement”.

It is also important for a manager to implement the 6 management skills:

1. Leading People
2. Managing Change (Change is constant!)
3. Meeting Customer Needs
4. Managing Information & Knowledge
5. Managing Activities and Resources
6. Managing Yourself

- Esjae